


Nine Lives

by CleopatraIsMyName



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Bad Parenting, British English, Childhood, Childhood Trauma, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crying, Gen, Good Parent Draco Malfoy, Harm to Animals, Heavy Angst, Hopeful Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kid Fic, Lucius Malfoy's A+ Parenting, Malfoy Family Feels (Harry Potter), Malfoy Family-centric (Harry Potter), Pre-Hogwarts, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, Young Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleopatraIsMyName/pseuds/CleopatraIsMyName
Summary: Brief snapshots of the lives of nine Malfoy heirs over the centuries and events that shaped them.Trigger warning: implied off screen animal cruelty but nothing explicit. Despite the tags, nothing happens on screen. If you think I should change the rating, please tell me. It may make you cry. I cried a lot whilst writing it.Inspired by chapter two of the amazing story Safety by vivi1138. When Voldemort returns,  Lucius gives fourteen year old Draco a kitten so he can practise casting curses on it. If you like Drarry, please read it. If you hate Drarry you can at least read the first six chapters.
Relationships: Abraxas Malfoy & Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy & Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy & Scorpius Malfoy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Nine Lives

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Safety](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17646131) by [vivi1138](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivi1138/pseuds/vivi1138). 



> Brief snapshots of the lives of nine Malfoy heirs over the centuries and events that shaped them. 
> 
> Trigger warning: implied off screen animal cruelty but nothing explicit. Despite the tags, nothing happens on screen. If you think I should up the rating, please tell me. It may make you cry. I cried a lot whilst writing it.
> 
> Inspired by chapter two of the amazing story Safety by vivi1138. When Voldemort returns, Lucius gives fourteen year old Draco a kitten so he can practise casting curses on it. If you like Drarry, please read it. If you hate Drarry you can at least read the first six chapters.
> 
> Thank you very much to my beta, the fabulous Craftybadger1234. I wrote this yesterday and you beta-ed it fast enough for me to publish it within 24 hours of deciding to write it.
> 
> Any characters you don't recognise I have made up. Anything canon was by the glorious J K Rowling and was checked at https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki  
> I am not making any money from this. Please do not copy this or translate without checking with me first.

**Nine Lives**

Magnus pulled himself up, climbing the oak tree, and sat, nestled in the branches. He pulled the package of roast chicken sandwiches out of his pocket. Kitsy made a decent sandwich. Papa was in London, seeing the new Minister for Magic, Grogan Stump. Mama was having luncheon with the Rosiers. He was so glad she hadn’t made him join her. The Rosiers were boring.

Magnus finished his lunch, dropping the crusts on to the ground since there was no one to tell him to eat them. He would be nine tomorrow. Nine was nearly ten and ten was nearly eleven and eleven meant Hogwarts. He was getting older every day but every day seemed to last for-ev-er. Long endless days, but at least it was summer. His tutor would be calling him back to continue with his Ancient Greek conjugation soon, but he could have a bit longer for his repast. Ancient Greek was boring, but he knew he would need it for spell-casting, so it was a necessary evil.

His mind turned to his birthday presents. He had written a list. Last year his best present had been a collection of introductory potions items: a cauldron, special knives and ingredients from his godfather, Arsenius Jigger. That had been amazing. Though nothing blew up. Explosions were fun but Uncle Arsenius didn’t approve of explosions. Magnus liked the potions that changed colours or smelled nice. When he went to Hogwarts he was going to be top of Potions and make Uncle Arsenius proud.

He could hearhis tutor calling from a long way off. He had a few more minutes. At the moment, up in the oak tree, he was the king of all he surveyed: the rolling vista of Malfoy lands, stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see. He could see the peacocks squawking and screeching in the distance. He didn’t like the peacocks. They were boring.

What he wanted, what he really, really wanted for his birthday tomorrow was a pet of his own. A crup puppy or a kneazlekitten. That would be the best present in the world. Magnus had hinted a lot. Mama would wrinkle her nose at the smell. He thought Papa might be persuaded though. Yes a pet would be the best birthday present ever.

\----------------------

Papa was always stern, and even today, on his ninth birthday, his tone was firm. “Now Caius, pay attention. This is your final birthday present. It is the most important present of all as it is part of a tradition. I was given a present like this on my ninth birthday, and my father before me, and his father before him. And so on back as far as the great Armand Malfoy, who brought us all of this.” He gestured to the window with its rolling vista of Malfoy lands, stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see.

He pushed the plain cardboard box towards Caius. The box was trembling. Caius looked at it, and then at Papa, his eyes wide, “Is it…?”  
  
Papa nodded. Mama looked encouraging. Caius tried not to let his hands shake as he excitedly undid the fastenings. Inside was a tiny kitten: tabby with green eyes. It mewed at him. He picked it up and it clung to his robes awkwardly. “Oh Papa! Thank you very much. I have wanted a pet for such a long time. It is the best birthday present I have ever had. I promise I will take very good care of it. Is it male or female?” Papa shrugged elegantly, and called for Fitsy, who declared it was a girl cat.

“I will call her Gattina.” Gattina licked his chin, as if approving of her name. Papa nodded and praised his Italian. Fitsy was told to provide kitten food at appropriate intervals and make a bed for her in the kitchen.

\----------------------

It was the night before Silvanus’ tenth birthday. Ailouros was napping on the window seat. The curtains were drawn now, but Silvanus knew behind the heavy velvet was a big window, looking out on the rolling vista of Malfoy lands, stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see.

He picked Ailouros up and brought him over to the bed, where they curled up together. Silvanus wondered idly what he would get for his birthday. He had his eye on an adult broom, preferably the Hurricane 100. It was the best broom on the market, and Papa had plenty of galleons. The Malfoys were one of the richest families around. Silvanus was tall for his age, almost five foot,and the broom he had was, frankly, for a child, not for a person who would be ten tomorrow. Ten was double figures. Practically a man. Almost old enough for Hogwarts.

Ailouros batted at a loose blond lock. He wasn’t a kitten any more but occasionally he still behaved like one. Silvanus stroked him, then pulled his copy of ‘Tales of Beedle the Bard’ from the bedside table. “Now where did we get to, Ailouros? Was it ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’?” Ailouros purred happily at him as they settled down to read.

\----------------------

It was late afternoon of Marcellus’ tenth birthday. After the cake and various presents, (some exciting and some not, but all received with the politeness expected of a Malfoy) the guests departed. Mama had gone to her room with a migraine. Papa called Marcellus into his study.

His face was grave, “Now Marcellus, this is a family tradition. It is an exceptionally important tradition. It is one that I followed on my tenth birthday and my father before me, and his father before him. And so on back as far as the great Armand Malfoy, who brought us all of this.” He gestured to the window with its rolling vista of Malfoy lands stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see.  
  
Papa summoned Mobbly and told him to bring Koshenya, who was now an elegant young cat rather than a fluffy black kitten. “It is time you learned a vital lesson before you go to Hogwarts next year. Shut the door.”

\----------------------

It was the night of Aurelius’ tenth birthday. A long, terrible day. The worst day of his life so far. He had stayed focussed and steady outwardly, though inside he wanted to vomit. As he finally entered his suite of rooms and shut the door, he rushed for the bathroom, where he ultimately lost control of his stomach contents. He sobbed and sobbed as the horrors of the day rolled around his brain. Wept at the thought of his lost friend. His dearest friend. His best friend.

All cried out, he lay on the marble floor and stared up at the ceiling. Father had said this was a tradition. But Aurelius would never, ever do this to his own child. Not in a million years. The tradition would stop here. No child of his would ever have to do what Aurelius had had to do today.  
  
He shakily stood up and looked at his stricken expression in the mirror. He took a mouthful of tooth cleaning potion, swilled it around, before washing his face and getting ready for bed. When he crossed the floor to the four-poster, there was an indent on the bed, with a few hairs on it. Aurelius looked furiously at the bed, trying futilely not to cry again. He picked up thebook from the bedside table and threw it across the room. He grabbed his pillow and went over to the window seat, where he could see the rolling vista of Malfoy lands stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see. He had slept on the window seat before anyway. He would do it now, even if this time he was alone.

\----------------------

It was the morning after Abraxas’ tenth birthday. He wrenched himself out of bed and crossed to the other side of the room. He pulled back the heavy velvet curtains, revealing the huge window, looking out on the rolling vista of Malfoy lands, stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see.

He carefully washed his face, trying to hide the ravages of a sleepless night spent bawling his eyes out. He looked at the mirror and sneered, pulling himself up to his full height of four foot eleven. He was a man now, a Malfoy man. He wouldn’t cry again. He wouldn’t love again. He had learned that now.

\----------------------

Lucius boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. He had bid farewell to his mother, her eyes shining with unshed tears. No Malfoy, even one by marriage, would cry in public. It just wasn’t done. His father had gripped him by the shoulder, a manly way to see off one’s heir without any mawkish behaviour of the lower classes.

He soon found the carriage with the other young purebloods of his acquaintance. The children of other aristocratic wizarding families considered suitable playmates and now fellow school companions. Not friends though. Never friends. Malfoys didn’t have friends. Friends were for hoi polloi, the great unwashed, mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors. Malfoys had associates, allies, peers.

\----------------------

Draco pulled himself up, climbing the oak tree, and sat, nestled in the branches. He pulled the package of roast chicken sandwiches out of his pocket. Dobby made a decent sandwich. Father was in London, seeing the Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold. Mother was having luncheon with the Rosiers. He was so glad she hadn’t made him join her. The Rosiers were boring.

Draco finished his lunch, dropping the crusts on to the ground since there was no one to tell him to eat them. He would be nine tomorrow. Nine was nearly ten and ten was nearly eleven and eleven meant Hogwarts. He was getting older every day but every day seemed to last for-ev-er. Long endless days, but at least it was summer. His tutor would be calling him back to continue with his Latin conjugation soon, but he could have a bit longer for his repast. Latin was boring, but he knew he would need it for spell-casting, so it was a necessary evil.

His mind turned to his birthday presents. He had written a list. Last year his best present had been the ‘My First Potions’ kit from Uncle Sev. That had been amazing. Though nothing blew up. Explosions were fun but Uncle Sev didn’t approve of explosions. Draco liked the potions that changed colours or smelled nice. When he went to Hogwarts he was going to be top of Potions and make Uncle Sev proud.

He could hearhis tutor calling from a long way off. He had a few more minutes. At the moment, up in the oak tree, he was the king of all he surveyed: the rolling vista of Malfoy lands, stretching lush and green as far as the eye could see. He could see the peacocks squawking and screeching in the distance. He didn’t like the peacocks. They were boring.

What he wanted, what he really, really wanted for his birthday tomorrow was a pet of his own. A crup puppy or a kneazlekitten. That would be the best present in the world. Draco had hinted a lot. Mother would wrinkle her nose at the smell. He thought Father might be persuaded though. Yes a pet would be the best birthday present ever.

\----------------------

“Scorpius! Have you finished packing? The Hogwarts Express won’t wait for you, you know! If you miss your Sorting you’ll be sorry.”

“Coming Dad!” A voice sang out from upstairs. A tall blond boy, all legs and arms after a recent growth spurt, came lolloping down the stairs. His beloved orange stripey cat, Marmalade, was close at his heels. Always.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I have assumed a generation is approximately 25 years. All the non-canon Malfoys are invented. The cat names are uncreative: ‘cat’ or ‘kitten’ in other languages, except Marmalade.
> 
> This story was prompted by vivi1138's Safety, but many years ago I read a fictionalised biography of the true tale of a medieval aristocratic Italian girl, Catherine de' Medici, who married into the French royal family. By poisoning her way, she eventually became queen of France, wife of Henry II, and the mother of three French kings. In the book, as a young girl, she was punished for a misdeed by her family poisoning her dog. She had to sit there and watch it die, whilst staying stoic and not crying. I thought that would be the kind of punishment the Death Eaters would use to teach their offspring not to be 'soft'. The book is called Madame Serpent (the first of the Catherine de' Medici Trilogy) by Jean Plaidy.
> 
> This is published on 31st July 2020. Happy birthday Harry and happy birthday J K R. Thought I'd torture some cats for your birthday present ;-)


End file.
